24 Hours
by insanemonkeyboy
Summary: A killer is on the loose in Magnolia, and he wants to play a game with Fairy Tail. He gives the guild 24 hours to find him and stop him from killing one of their members, but will they be able to rise to the challenge? M for graphic depictions of gore. Pairing will end up being NaZa
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Fairy Tail or the characters, they belong to Mashima

I'm categorizing this as a mystery/horror. Wasn't really sure if it belonged in the thriller or horror genre, so I decided to put it in the latter just to be safe. This will be a short (6-7 chapter) fic that will hopefully be finished around the same time as Fiery Jade (my next update) and The Size of His Heart.

On a side note, I'm closing out a bunch of projects this week, so hopefully after this week I'll have more time to work on some of my other stories. I really want to put some time into my NaZa fic as well as some of the other longer stories I'm working on.**

* * *

"Mira, another flaming whiskey please!"

Natsu Dragneel was at the bar, with Lucy sitting to his right and Erza to his left. Not too far behind him, Gray was at a table with Juvia, though the latter wasn't by the ice mage's choice. Mirajane smiled at the group, knowing they were in high spirits after another successful mission.

"We actually got to keep almost half the reward money this time," Lucy said with a wide grin. "And since this was a SS class mission, that means we've all got plenty of spending money now."

Mira couldn't help laughing at the blonde's statement. Almost half the money meant that the destructive group managed to spend over 5 million jewels to repair the damage they caused.

"We could've kept a little more if Wendy hadn't destroyed the clay art museum," Gray said with an amused chuckle. Mira glanced over at the blue-haired girl, surprised to see her cheeks redden in embarrassment, thus confirming Gray's statement.

"Yeah, that was great Wendy!" Natsu cheered. Trust Natsu to encourage the girl to be more destructive. "You're getting really strong!"

"Thanks Natsu-nii!" Wendy's blush deepened as Natsu praised her, but Mira noticed that she was now smiling instead of looking ashamed.

Natsu downed his fire whiskey quickly, and Mira giggled. Thanks to the dragon slayer's internal fire he could burn off enough alcohol to make the stuff near water by the time it hit his veins. Much to Cana's chagrin, since he could now rival her in drinking contests. The brunette often complained about the unfairness of it. After all, she'd been working so hard to build up endurance, and here Natsu just started drinking and didn't even have to build up resistance to it.

"Natshu," said drunk slurred. "I will win our nesht drinking contesht…"

"Yeah, yeah." Natsu waved her away.

Suddenly a cold, dark feeling came over Mira, and she felt a sinister presence, like slimy, freezing beetles were swarming over every inch of her body. She had to resist the urge to instantly run from the room in surprise and horror. From the way Natsu, Erza, Lucy, and Wendy all froze, she could tell they felt it too. Then the room became utterly dark for a mere instant. Before anyone could voice their shock or questions, the presence and the darkness disappeared, leaving a large silver platter with a silver cover on the bar.

"What… What the fuck was that?" Erza's voice held undertones of disgust, revulsion, and maybe even a hint of fear? Mira shook her head. The scarlet knight was afraid of nothing.

"I smell blood…" Natsu said, sniffing at the covered silver platter. "In fact, it's Jet's blood…"

For a long moment Mira stared at the platter's cover, not wanting to lift it after hearing this revelation from the dragon slayer. The guild was deathly quiet. Mira suddenly became aware that more people than just team Natsu were gathered around the bar. In fact, nearly the whole guild was there, their conversations ended at the sudden interruption of their peaceful day. They were watching the silver cover in front of them, all eyes filled with that same curiosity, shadowed by the fear of what awaited them when it was satisfied…

Summoning up all her willpower, Mirajane reached out and swiftly removed the cover. Her eyes went wide as an involuntary hiss of air escaped her mouth, the cover clattering to the floor with a clang that might as well have been a gunshot in the dead silence of the room. There, in the middle of a piece of paper, was an eye. Not a nice, clean eyeball that had been surgically removed. A bloody eyeball with chunks of flesh still clinging to it. The paper to which the eyeball was pinned contained some sort of message.

Wishing that Makarov were there, Mirajane slowly reached out to touch the very corner of the paper, as though trying to push the evil object as far from her as she could while angling it so that she could read it. And this is what she read:

 _We're gonna' play a little fairy game. The rules are simple, so listen well._

 _I have a member of your guild with me somewhere in the city of Magnolia. Your challenge is to find him in 24 hours. Every hour that you don't find him, you will receive another piece of his body to remind you that the game is still afoot. After 24 hours, his time will run out, and I'll start on another fairy._

 _Better get started fairies. Your 24 hours begins now._

There was no signature. The script was a simple, sloppy scrawl that bordered on illegible, crude and unrefined, but it got the point across. And that was that somebody was fucking with Fairy Tail. The gruesome sight before Mirajane was supposed to spread fear, but she felt only anger. Anger and determination to find and end this fucker who dared to harm one of her family. Looking around those closest to the bar, she saw the same sentiments on Natsu, Erza, Gray, Laxus, and Gajeel's faces. Wendy still looked shocked and horrified, and Lucy had fainted.

Erza quickly took charge. "Alright everyone, this is what we're going to do. Warren, you stay here at Fairy Tail along with Lucy, Wendy, Romeo, Macao, Wakaba, Laki, Levy, and Elfman. The rest of us will split up into groups and search Magnolia for this monster. S-class mages will go in groups of 2. A-B class mages will go in groups of no less than 4. C class or below will stay in the guild with the rest. Warren, you will be responsible for letting us know when and if more of these packages show up. You'll also be our main relay center for anyone in the search party. If you find something, make sure Warren knows immediately."

Having said her piece she grabbed Natsu by the wrist and pulled him off with her. "Let's go Natsu!"

Mira looked around, wondering who she should head out with now that Erza preemptively grabbed Natsu. After a few moments she made a decision. "Cana, let's go!"

Without looking back the barmaid headed out with her partner, who had sobered up pretty quickly. She knew there was no time to waste if they were going to find this creep and bring him to justice.

 **~~~~~~Natsu and Erza~~~~~~**

The blood red rays of sunlight dripping into the quiet city brought no joy to Erza this day. Instead it merely painted everything red. Even the shadows of the shrubs and trees seemed to be cast in a red tint, staining the ground crimson beneath their feet.

Erza stopped, grabbing Natsu's arm to stop him as well, as they came to the city outskirts.

"What's going on Erza?" Natsu asked, turning to her with a slight frown.

"I forgot to divide the city up among teams," Erza said, feeling ashamed at her oversight. "So we'll have to find a way to let everyone know which area we've chosen to search."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense." The crimson of the setting sun seemed to taint the dragon slayer's onyx orbs a dark red, as though twin pools of blood stared back at her from within the milky substance surrounding them. Clearing her mind quickly of such thoughts, Erza bent to mark the road. A simple "N.D & E.S." with an arrow pointing in the direction she intended to take them. That would suffice.

"Alright, let's go." She murmured, grabbing the dragon slayer by the wrist again and leading him into the darkening streets beyond. She instantly turned right down the first alley that disconnected from the main street. "Keep alert for anything that looks, sounds, or smells out of place," she instructed. "And especially for anything that smells like Jet."

"You really didn't need to tell me that," Natsu responded as he sniffed the air behind her.

The town was quiet. Even the usual nightlife was very much diminished as they crept like shadows through the blood-red alley. The sun sank further, casting the entirety of earthland into deep red silhouettes as they proceeded, each step measured as they looked for clues about the person who would dare threaten their guild.

Finally the last tendrils of crimson light faded, leaving only blackness and the vague, flickering orange of street lamps in their place. Whenever they connected back to the main streets, the glow of the magic lights would illuminate the silent streets. On the few occasions that people passed them, they would nod or bow as a sign of respect and recognition, but no words were exchanged. It was as though the entire city of Magnolia lay on the brink of death, and people's hearts could sense the crimson weight that had settled on the town.

They had snaked their way through about 2 miles of town, going slowly to make sure they didn't miss any potential clues, when Warren's thoughts came through the telepathy. "We… We received his other eye." Was all he said. But it was enough. Erza shuddered as the memory of the first eye returned to her mind. She could still see the chunks of flesh still clinging to it, evidence that the eye was removed savagely without concern for the host. She could see the blood spattered on the letter that was scrawled in crude script.

And now, because she'd been unable to find this villain within the hour, one of her comrades had lost his other eye. She couldn't let this continue. She was Erza Scarlet, and she would find this criminal before he made his next delivery.

 **~~~~~~2** **nd** **Hour: Mirajane and Cana~~~~~~**

Mira and Cana had barely covered a mile and a half when they received the first message. After seeing Erza's message, they'd quickly scrawled one of their own and began searching the dark alleys to the left side of Magnolia. But they didn't have the nose of a dragon slayer, so they were even more cautious not to miss any potential lead.

Cana was, thankfully, getting more sober as they continued their trek. Though part of the reason they were a little behind was the drunk's need to stop and purchase some drinking water at one of the stores they ran across on the main street. Now that her head was a little clearer, the card mage remembered that she had several cards that were useful for searches like these. Since then, the going had been a little faster, but even the magic of her cards didn't turn up anything.

Mira frowned, the memory of removing that lid from the platter replaying in her mind. Not for the first time she felt nauseated, not so much by the blood as by the sight of the eye, its blank expression seeming to stare at her, reproaching her for letting this happen to a member of her guild. And now her imagination could work the second eye in there. Both giving her a dead gaze. _It's your fault I'll never see again…_

They continued to work their way through the black streets, searching out the dark shadows cast in the alleyways, examining every inch of the buildings, especially housing areas, they passed by. Yet their search turned up nothing out of the ordinary. Magic scans detected no malicious intent in any of the houses, and Cana's cards continually told them that Jet was nowhere around.

Both knew better than to talk, and somehow it felt like the people they passed on the street did too. They were met with no spoken greetings. Even the small groups of teenagers wandering down the streets shuffled quietly, none of the usual noisy banter filling the air. Or perhaps it was just that the air was so heavy no noise that they made could penetrate it. The kind of air that could only be cut by thin shrieks of terror that pierced both heart and soul.

Mirajane could feel her inner demon's excitement mounting as she traveled through the quiet streets. That part of her that she always worked so hard to suppress. The part that wanted nothing more than to catch the bastard who was doing this to the guild and return the favor one tiny slice at a time. They didn't call her Demon Mirajane for nothing.

The patter of feet down the alley startled her, and she turned quickly toward the sound. Several feet away a pair of yellow-green eyes glared at her in the darkness, small yellow eyes set close to the ground. Then in another swift patter a large black cat dashed past her and on down the alley.

Even in her current adrenaline-hyped state, Mira was able to let out an amused chuckle as she considered her reaction to their feline visitor. But this was just one more dead-end in their search, and the end of the second hour was drawing ever closer…

As the search continued, clouds begin to swoop in on the city of Magnolia, taking away the refreshing pale light offered by the stars that once glimmered in the clear night sky. Even the moon's face was blotted out, so that aside from the street lamps that were rapidly turning off as the hour got later, the thick darkness that just seemed to drip evil reigned throughout the tired, village. As though death had finally descended after the bloodbath offered by the setting sun.

Now Mira's mind was beginning to go from eager to rise to the challenge to discouragement. A sentiment that was just strengthened when Warren's voice sounded in her head.

'Any leads out there? We just received another platter here, and this one contained a thumb…"

 **~~~~~~The 3** **rd** **Hour~~~~~~**

"Natsu," Erza's voice cut into the dragon slayer's thoughts. "I just realized we've been going about this all wrong."

"What do you mean?" Natsu looked at the scarlet knight, cocking his head to the side curiously. He felt like they'd been making the best progress they could under the circumstances.

"Well, it's still only been a few hours since Jet was taken – probably no more than 5 or 6, right? So if we could pick up his trail…"

"Wow Erza, you're a genius!" Natsu said, snapping out of his growing depression at the chance to discover what became of his friend a new and different way. "Where should we start then?"

"Well," Erza said with a smirk. "If he was coming back to Magnolia, he would've had to pass through the train station…"

Natsu's face turned just a little green at the mere mention of a train, but he nodded and started running in that direction. It took about 10 minutes for the two to reach the Magnolia train station from their position, and Natsu sniffed the air intently.

"I got it!" He exclaimed as his senses picked up a faint scent that definitely belonged to the speed mage. They made it just in time, by his estimation. Any longer and the scent would be undetectable. Wasting no time, he followed the scent down the main street toward the guild.

They'd barely gone two blocks when the scent was abruptly joined by another, and Natsu wrinkled his nose up in disgust. This new scent was sickening, like worm-infested meat that had been decaying in the heat for a few days. It nearly drowned out Jet's smell, which Natsu was still trying to trace as it turned through the dark alley. But now a lot of his concentration was spent just trying not to vomit.

The scents only went a few steps into the dark alley before they disappeared completely. Natsu came to a halt, confused. How was this even possible?

"Natsu?" Erza asked, stopping behind him. "What's wrong?"

"The scent ends right here," Natsu said, knowing the confusion was still evident in his voice. "But there's nothing. Nowhere they could've gone from here…"

Erza looked around, her expression also puzzled. But to Natsu it appeared to be the expression of someone who was trying to solve a mystery, not someone who was stumped. After a few minutes of looking she spoke.

"Natsu, this alley is surrounded by tall buildings on all sides. Do you know what that means?"

Natsu shook his head, not sure where his long-time friend was going with this.

"It means there are probably shadows on this street no matter what time of day it is."

"How does that help us?" Natsu wondered aloud.

"Come on Natsu," Erza sounded a little annoyed now. "Surely you haven't forgotten how Rogue could use the shadows to move about as he wished…"

"Rogue would never do something like this!" Natsu was appalled that Erza could even think something like that. Sure, future Rogue had been a real jerk, but the Rogue that survived the Eclipse Gate fiasco was now one of Natsu's best friends.

Erza rolled her eyes. "I'm not saying it was Rogue, Natsu. But if Rogue has magic that allows him to use shadows to move about at will, perhaps there are other mages with similar abilities."

"Oh," Natsu looked away, embarrassed that he'd jumped to the conclusion he did. But before he could continue any further in that thought process, the little item that had been bugging him for the past several minutes suddenly made itself clear in his mind.

"Umm, Erza, we might have another problem."

"What?" Erza looked at him, now apparently confused again.

"Well, it's been bothering me since I picked up the scent, but I just put my finger on what it is. There's another scent mixed in with Jet's and this… thing… that took him. And it disappears here too."

Erza looked at him expectantly, not saying a word. Natsu gulped and sighed before speaking again. "It looks like Droy may have been taken too."

Erza frowned. "That's terrible news, Natsu. We need to report this immediately…"

"Can we get out of here first?" Natsu asked, working hard to keep his nausea from overcoming him. There was only so much of this vile smell that his dragon senses could handle.

"What? Why?" Erza looked at him quizzically, a frown still on her features. "What if there are more clues here?"

"Trust me there's nothing more here we can—" Natsu was cut off as his nose finally took over his senses and a stream of vomit escaped his mouth on to the dusty alley.

"Oh…" Erza straightened up. "Yes, we will go back to the main street."

Natsu sighed thankfully as they made their way out of the alley and away from that sickening smell. Once the air was clear, he found himself taking long, deep breaths to clear that foul aroma from his body. Yet the scent of death lingered in the stale air, permeating the darkness of the shadows around them.

Erza's voice made its way into his mind through the telepathy channel Warren had open.

'Alright everyone. Natsu and I have bad news. First, it appears that our psychopath is able to use the shadows to simply disappear with his victims. This will make it exceedingly difficult to find him. Secondly, unless Natsu's nose is wrong, which I will personally say it never has been, Jet wasn't the only one taken by this creep. Droy's scent was there too, which means we now have not just one life hanging in the balance, but two.'

There was silence for several long minutes on the telepathic channel before Laxus's "voice" came across.

'I believe we should complete the search and then regroup at the guild hall to plan our next move.'

'That seems wise to me as well,' Mira's voice echoed in their minds, grim and determined.

'That's what we'll do then,' Erza communicated, and then without another word she and Natsu returned to their former route, scouring the city for any sign of Jet's scent, or the decay-ridden smell of his captor.

 **~~~~~~23 hours 55 minutes~~~~~~**

"I can't believe none of us found anything," Erza said as the wizards of Fairy Tail hovered around the bar area. Fairy Tail hadn't been this somber since the day the news of Acnologia's attack reached the members who were left behind. Quiet sobs were coming from Levy, who was currently being comforted by Gajeel. Lucy was also crying, as was Lisanna. Natsu's face was set in hard, angry lines. Gray's face was similarly angry. Elfman's face was somber, his eyes that usually sparkled with a man's spirit now pools of hopelessness.

Near the bar lay the morbid assortment of mementos the soon to be killer had left them. Two eyes, two ears, ten fingers, and ten toes, all with bits of cartilage, bone, or other flesh still attached to them. Everyone was dreading the next delivery. The one that was due any moment now. Even the bright torchlight that illuminated Fairy Tail couldn't alleviate the heavy aura of death that lay in the air.

"Dammit!" Natsu pounded his fist against the table, causing the grisly collection to jump with the impact. "Why couldn't we find this asshole? He needs to be brought to justice!"

"We will find him," Erza said darkly, her eyes shadowed as she thought of her comrade that she could do nothing to save. "And we'll make sure he's brought to justice."

Murmurs of assent were heard throughout the crowd, but before any more words could be spoken the room suddenly went dark again. When the light returned, a large, flesh-colored ball the size of a beach ball appeared on the bar in front of them. It looked like it was composed of skin, but it was pulsating in a rhythm consistent with a heartbeat. Natsu's nose instantly picked up the scent of Jet, and his dragon instincts warned him of what was coming next.

"Everyone get down!" He yelled as he ducked below the surface of the bar. Erza, Gray, Mira, Laxus, and Gajeel followed his example quickly. But the others were too slow to escape what happened next.

There was an odd sound like a sickening splat, and blood, organs, bones, and cartilage flew every which way. When Natsu rose above the bar again, Lucy was standing here, her mouth still open in shock as pieces of Jet's intestines dripped down her white and blue top. Elfman was furiously trying to wipe blood and other fluids from his clothing, and the other guild members who hadn't managed to duck were in similar situations. Levy was just standing there in shock, her arms, hands, and chest dripping with blood and other body fluids. Lisanna hadn't fared much better, and based on the odor of urine coming from her she'd been the recipient of what was left of the bladder. Bits of flesh stuck to all of them. To the chairs, tables, and even the rafters above them.

It was at that moment that the reality of what was happening hit everyone there. This wasn't a game. It wasn't something they could escape. People were going to die. And if they couldn't find the asshole who was responsible for this even more people were going to die.

Now many of the wizards of Fairy Tail wore expressions of abject fear, while others, like Natsu and Erza, reeked of disgust and anger. Natsu was determined that whoever dared do this to Jet was going to be found. And if he was the one who found him, there was no guarantee that the man would escape with his life.

It was in this prevailing mood that another platter suddenly appeared on the table before them. Gasps and choked sobs rose up all around them, and it was with a trembling hand that Mirajane reached for the lid and slowly lifted it off, revealing another mangled eye pinned to a note.

 _You Fairies know how the game works now. 24 hours is all you have. Fail to save him, and I will take more. One at a time the Fairies will disappear, back into legend where they belong._

Natsu clenched his fists as Mira finished reading this next note. This creep was gonna' pay. When he found him, he would make sure he suffered a fate worse than death.

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Ok, I'm going to let you guys decide (to an extent) who dies in this story. I'll explain the limitations below.

First, I'm not putting up a poll, because I'm still trying to accumulate votes in my currently running poll on my next story.

Second, the following characters are not to be voted on because I already have plans involving them one way or another:

Natsu, Erza, Makarov, Gildarts, Laxus, Levy, Gajeel

Next, characters that have little to no manga time and characters that only appear in the anime will not be included. This isn't going to be a "kill off the no-name characters" fic.

And last, at least one person from Team Natsu (since Natsu and Erza are out, that leaves Lucy, Gray, and Wendy) will die, whether they are voted for or not. So if you want to have a say in which one it is, vote for one of them once chapters start progressing (or right away, if you want).

Anyway, that's it. Read, and don't forget to drop a review ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Fairy Tail and the characters aren't mine. They belong to Mashima.

Ok everyone. First, Lucy was overwhelmingly voted off the island, so she will die – but not in this chapter :P. This chapter is somebody that nobody voted for but I planned to do whether that person was voted on or not… hehehehehe I'm such an evil person**

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Lucy sat in front of a table near the front, her arms folded over her knees, which were drawn to her chest. In her time at Fairy Tail, the blonde mage faced all kinds of villains. But none of them were like this. Jet was gone. Not just injured. Not disappeared for 7 years. Gone. Dead. Even after running back to her apartment to change, she could still _feel_ the blood stains on her. She could still smell the sickening stench of the metallic blood mixing with the acidic odor of the stomach organs.

She heard the guild door open, but she didn't look up. She'd stopped looking up 10 minutes ago when the third group returned with no news. Part of her wished she'd joined the search team. She thought it would be safer in the guild, but after watching pieces of Droy be delivered in a platter for 23 hours she didn't feel anywhere close to safe. Now the 24th hour was almost over.

"Did you find anything?" Mira's voice expressed little hope, and Lucy could understand why. They were never going to find this creep. He was going to finish them off, one by one, till everyone in Fairy Tail was dead. Gone. Just like Jet.

"Nothing." Even Natsu sounded dejected. The fire dragon slayer whose hope burned like a fire all the time, keeping the guild alive when nothing else could pick their heads up. Even he had lost hope. He knew they couldn't find the creep that was doing this. Perhaps he'd even resigned himself to death just as Lucy had.

Around the guild she heard people echoing her sentiments. "We're all dead. We'll never find him!"

"We should run. Fuck the notes!" Another voice, referencing a note that arrived with Droy's second eye, called out. The note gleefully encouraged them to run, assuring them that running was the fastest way to become the next victim. While many had expressed doubts at the villain's ability to carry through on his threats, nobody actually had the courage to test it. Of course, Lucy thought, a bit of irony coming to her thoughts, deciding to run and leave their guild mates to their fate wasn't exactly a mark of courage. So it wasn't too surprising.

"Stop this!" Natsu's voice roared over everyone. "We'll never survive with this attitude! Look at all of you! You've already given up! We have to think, damn it! There's something we're all missing here, and we've got to figure out what it is! I'll be damned if I'm just going to sit around waiting to be the next to get picked off! I'll tear Magnolia apart looking for this guy!"

Lucy felt a faint flicker of hope, like a bright candle in the darkness of her soul, at the dragon slayer's words. But it was quickly snuffed out when the room went dark again, in sync with the ominous chime of the clock.

She didn't look up. She knew the platter would be there, but she didn't want to look for it. She already knew what was coming. A gooey ball of flesh, just like last time, that would explode in a gory mess. At least here on the floor she should be relatively safe—

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" The scream ripped from her throat before she even realized it was there as Droy's severed head, bloody holes where his eyes once were, descended. The pits that once had been his eyes were staring right at her, as though targeting her. She didn't even have time to get to her feet. She fell back, clawing at the floor to pull herself away from the hideous spectacle. But before she could turn her head it happened. Blood spurted from the eyes onto her hair and forehead, dripping down over her eyes and tainting her world with a red mist. Screams continued to rip from her throat as though they were coming from someone else. Distant and far away. Everything seemed unreal as she ripped, clawed at the floor, trying to pull away from the horror she knew was in front of her. The blood stung her eyes as it blotted out her vision, and a sudden metallic taste on her tongue reminded her that her mouth remained open. Somewhere in the depths of her consciousness she registered that her throat was raw and aching from screaming. Her fingers were beginning to ache from clawing at the wooden floor. Wait, she wasn't clawing at the floor anymore. She'd come up against something hard. The bar.

"LUCY! SNAP OUT OF IT!" Who was calling her? Her mind struggled to find the name that went with the voice. But all she could see was red. Red, scarlet blood filling her eyes. Suddenly there was a warm sensation against her eyes. No – more blood! But this somehow felt more wholesome than blood. Fingers pushed her eyelids apart, and as the warm, damp sensation touched her eyes the red veil was slowly lifted.

"E-Erza…" She breathed out, she only realized she'd been hyperventilating when her breathing began to slow. She was suddenly aware again that there were other people around her.

Erza had just finished cleaning her other eye with a warm towel when the darkness flashed again. When it was gone, Lucy was relieved to find herself still in the guild. She'd been almost certain that she'd been chosen as the next target.

She sat against the bar, breathing hard, not even tempted to look. The only thing she wanted was for someone to find this creep before he got around to killing her. That was the one thing she prayed for above all else. She heard the metallic clink of a lid being removed, then several gasps.

"But – nobody's missing?" Erza's voice. She could imagine the knight doing a head count, making sure every member was accounted for. "Who could it be?"

"Let me smell it," Natsu's voice. He was approaching the bar, the heat radiating from his body.

Suddenly another voice. A voice desperate and terrified, broke the silence in almost a wail. A female. Not just any female. A mother, crying out in anguish and terror. "Has anybody seen Asuka?!"

Lucy felt her gut wrench as Natsu froze by the bar. She couldn't see his face, but she could imagine it. She could feel the heat from his magic becoming overwhelming. His voice echoing through the guild like the roar of a dragon. "YOU MONSTER! WHEN I FIND YOU I'M GONNA' KILL YOU, YOU HEAR?! I'LL KILL YOU!"

 _It's no use Natsu! Even you should be able to see you're just screaming empty threats._ Lucy thought as she huddled against the bar. She knew she should be feeling sorrow and pity for Bisca. That she should be horrified that Asuka was currently being cut apart by some freak. But right now all she could think about was that it wasn't her. She was still alive. And maybe if she was alive she still had a chance. Maybe the strongest team in Fairy Tail would start thinking of a way to escape instead of trying to hunt down a killer they would never catch.

"We must redouble our efforts!" Erza's voice put an end to any hope she had of that. "All teams, expand our searches. Knock on doors. Go into cellars. Sub-basements. If there's a place to look, look there! If they won't open up, open it for them! We're no longer concerned about the privacy of the citizens. We need to find whoever's doing this and stop them at any cost!"

 _It's no use Erza? Can't you see that?! We should focus our efforts on trying to keep the rest of us alive!_ Lucy realized she was rocking back and forth on the floor, but she didn't really care at this point. Maybe the rest of team Natsu couldn't accept how hopeless their situation was, but she could feel it. The fairies were dropping, one at a time. Not even first master could save them this time.

 **~~~~~~Natsu~~~~~~**

He couldn't believe it. How could someone do something like that to a sweet little girl like Asuka?! His anger boiled up inside him, spilling out into the night air in his magic.

"Natsu, I think the temperature just rose 20 degrees in Magnolia," Erza's quiet voice cut into his thoughts.

Natsu was in no mood for banter. "What the fuck do you expect? This sick creep has Asuka. She's a child. Who knows what that fucker's doing to her right now?"

"I agree," Erza's voice was cold and hard, like the steel she wielded. "But anger isn't our ally here. Anger can be good if it's put to good use, but if you let it take control it'll blind you to important clues. Clues that we need to rescue Asuka before he does anything more."

Natsu growled, punching the floor of the basement they were currently searching. "We've combed this whole fucking town twice already! Not even the dragon slayers can find anything," he said with a glare. "Now we're breaking into homes and searching basements and attics. But so far the result is the same."

"But we have to keep looking," Erza said. "The killer's somewhere in Magnolia."

"How do we know that?" Natsu said, wanting something, anything, to pound into the ground and release some of his pent-up range. "For all we know the jerk could've been lying. What if we're looking for someone who isn't even here just to give him more time to pick more of us off?"

"I don't think so," Erza said. "He's too cocky. Too sure of himself to do something like this. He enjoys taunting us. And this is just one of the ways he's doing it. He's taunting us by telling us we won't be able to find him in our own city…"

"Well, we'll prove him wrong then!" Natsu said. "I don't care what it takes, I will find whoever's doing this, and when I find him I'll kill him with my own hands."

"Fairy Tail doesn't kill Natsu," Erza reminded him.

"After what this guy's done to us, I won't be able to hold back." Natsu said vehemently. He didn't know how Erza didn't feel the same way. He might've been able to hold back from killing this jerk after Jet. Maybe even after Droy. But Asuka? They were dealing with a fucked up piece of shit, and his death could only make Earthland a better place.

He stood up as he finished the inspection of the basement. Once again turning up nothing. He wanted to roar in frustration. Hell, he would rather just tear the whole town apart with a couple hits from his fire dragon king form! But he knew he couldn't do that. There were civilians in Magnolia, and they couldn't bring them into this.

 _Where are you hiding bastard?_ He barely noticed Erza's presence as he headed out, ignoring the disgruntled stares from the owners of the house they'd just inspected. Another bloody sunset bathed magnolia. A thin haze of cloud hung over the city, and the fading rays of the sun ensured everything was dyed a deep scarlet. It was as though the gods themselves were mocking him. Taunting him with what was right in front of him but he was still unable to find.

When nobody answered several knocks on the next door, he put his shoulder to it. Hard. The door blew off its hinges inward, causing an alarmed cry from an adjacent room. "Maybe you should answer your door next time," he growled as he escaped the crimson outside and began sniffing around the house.

Yet there was nothing out of the ordinary. The only scent of blood was the familiar smell of meat that had been slaughtered long ago and was waiting in a refrigerated area to be cooked. Human sweat, saliva, and other odors existed in trace amounts everywhere. Faint remnants of discarded vegetables, and the odor of potatoes, onions, and other root vegetables from their cellar.

With a growl he headed to the basement as Erza checked the bedrooms and bathrooms. Just like the last basement, it was a typical, boring basement. A storeroom for potatoes. Random boxes and junk piled in the corners. He searched everything for a sign of a secret door. Or of a psychopath murderer frequenting the space. But neither his nose, his eyes, or his ears could pick up anything out of the ordinary. It was just another boring citizen and another boring house.

Growing more frustrated and angry by the moment, Natsu continued to the next house.

 **~~~~~~Lucy~~~~~~**

The telltale clang of a platter being opened reached her, still huddled in her corner. A stifled sob from Bisca. A telepathic message from Warren to the search teams that she did her best to block out. Lucy Heartphilia knew Fairy Tail was fighting a losing battle. She just needed to figure out a way out.

She barely even noticed the blood caked in her hair. She hadn't changed. Hadn't even moved from that spot since her last horrifying shower of crimson. Even when Natsu tried to pull her out on the streets, insisting the hunt would help clear her head and get her courage back, she resisted. She firmly refused to let him take her out there. At least here with everyone else, she had a better chance, right?

 _But Asuka was taken when everyone was here, and none of us noticed…_ Whoever was doing this could take someone in a heartbeat. He could move so fast even the person being taken probably wouldn't know what was happening.

Lucy felt tears come to her eyes again as she rocked back and forth, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. If only she could just disappear like a celestial spirit. Then she could escape this whole horrible mess…

Wait! There was an idea. For the first time since Lucy's bloody shower, she opened her eyes and looked up from her arms. A day in the celestial spirit world was 3 months in Earthland! She could call a celestial spirit and just disappear! In 3 months it would all be over. After all, there weren't 90 people in the guild to go through. When she got back, she could find a new guild. New friends. It would be hard, leaving behind all the people she'd fought beside, laughed beside. But at least she would be alive!

Well, maybe she would be able to take a couple with her… She could just quietly tell them her plan and they could all be gone before anyone realized what was happening.

No. Too risky. What if the creep had some way of listening in on their conversations? He would find out she was planning to leave, and it would be over. No. She hated to do it this way, but the only way she could safely escape was by saving herself and herself only. Her friends would understand. They would _want_ her to do this!

Scurrying quickly away from the group, to the wine cellar, she pulled out Horoglium's key. She wasted no time in summoning the spirit.

"Horoglium, I need to spend a day in the spirit world, quickly!"

"But Lucy, you know this isn't done except for very rare occasions."

"I know, but my life's in danger right now. If I can go I have a chance to live!"

Horoglium looked for a moment before nodding. "Alright, I'm sure the king will understand…"

His voice seemed to trail off as Lucy suddenly realized she was very sleepy. The fear and adrenaline from the past couple days must finally be getting to her But just as her eyes closed she noticed how dark it suddenly was, and an unfamiliar pair of hands caught her. The last thing she remembered was a putrid odor and cold, clammy fingers against her. Then consciousness left her, and she faded into crimson dreams…

When Lucy awoke, her eyes took a moment to adjust to the pale green light around her. The first thing she noticed was cold stone against the skin of her back. The next thing she noticed as her eyes adjusted was that she was angled upward just enough to see a young child chained to a stone slab across from her, with gaping holes where her eyes once were. Blood oozed down the girl's cheeks and face into the already dried blood on her chin and flat, naked chest. The blood looked otherworldly in the eerie green light, almost giving the whole vision a surreal feeling to it. Finally, she saw a tall man dressed entirely in dark clothing, standing a little to the right of the girl with some kind of small hacksaw in his hand.

The final thing she realized was that she was naked, just like the child across from her. Her body felt weak and unresponsive when she tried to move it, and the feel of cold metal uncomfortably squeezed her wrists. Her ankles were likewise shackled, pulling her legs to the side and leaving her completely and utterly exposed.

"Welcome to the party," the man's voice was low and raspy, like the hiss of a viper. "We'll get to you in about 2 hours. Until then, sit back and enjoy the show."

Lucy whimpered as he turned back to the girl who she now knew was Asuka. A tear ran down her cheek at the screams that tore from the girl's throat as he began using the hacksaw to remove her ear...

* * *

And that's a wrap for chapter 2. I think Lucy and a couple others will die after this, before we start to get to the finale... But keep up with the votes. So far I think the second most votes is either Wendy or Gray.

Don't forget to drop a review!


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Fairy Tail or the characters. It all belongs to Mashima.

So here's chapter 3 of 24 hours. I followed the most popular vote with Gray, and then kind of went my own way with the other two. I planned on writing out a little more of the individual deaths, but at this point I kind of want to wrap up this story and move on to the sequel.

Yes, there will be a sequel. The sequel won't be a horror story, but it will still be M rated as it will deal a lot with people's coping, or failure to cope, with the events that happen in this story.

Not saying who will be in the sequel either. You'll have to wait and see who survives... muahahahahaha!**

* * *

"Guess who gets her turn now…" The man before Lucy spoke in a sing-song, a high lilt to his voice as he went to a table nearby to make his selection.

"Ahhh… this should do nicely," with a flourish he brought forth a knife that looked like a hunting knife, except that it was serrated on both sides. The serration was crude at best, the jagged edges looking as though they would make cutting anything hard work. Lucy tried to move her head as the knife came closer to her eye, allowing her to see the slightly blunted tip as well as the blood that coated the blade, showing a sickly crimson-green in the ethereal lighting.

She heard the pathetic whimpers escaping her mouth as the blade touched just above her eye, the blood, dried from hours of disuse, flaked off a bit with the motion, falling onto her face and forehead. Then the knife began to descend, and suddenly the whimpers turned to an ear-shattering scream as pain shot through her eye and head. Her vision on that side went white from the shock, and before she could recover there was more. The dull serration bludgeoned and cut into the flesh around her eye, sending electric jolts of pain all through her head. The sound of her own voice was foreign, so terrified and loud as it pierced the sickly atmosphere, filling the room with its painful volume.

Finally the stabbing pain of the semi-sharp knife cutting new flesh subsided, and she was left with the duller, aching pain of a newly opened wound. The pain caused her to squint her left eye shut even as she forced her right eye open, tears of pain and fear streaming down her face. Through her open eye, she saw the man who was terrorizing their guild placing a gory eyeball with chunks of flesh still attached onto a platter. And that was when it hit her. That was _her_ eye. She wasn't closing her left eye right now, because she didn't have a left eye to close. The too-real pain flooding her senses where her left eye should be affirmed it.

Another desperate scream tore from her throat. Where was Natsu? Whenever she was in trouble in the past the pink-haired dragon slayer would show up just at the right moment. She could even live with the loss of one of her beautiful eyes if someone, anyone, would show up and save her.

"We've got an hour before I start to work on the other one. Let's have some fun, shall we?" the sing-song felt like somebody taking a hammer to the back of her mind. The pulsing pain from her left eye was becoming unbearable, so she could barely even think. She hardly recognized the terrified whimper that escaped her throat.

 **~~~~~~Fairy Tail~~~~~~**

Natsu cursed as the platter was opened, revealing another eye. Another victim, and they were no closer to finding the perpetrator than the first time he struck. "There's no way he's getting away with this shit!" He yelled, his fist raised in the air. "This is Fairy Tail he's messing with, and we will find him!"

Gray couldn't stand watching the dragon slayer, spouting off more nonsense about what he would do when they finally caught the guy. For the first few days the dragon slayer's frequent reminders of who Fairy Tail was gave him hope. But now they were little more than an annoyance. Gray was smart enough to know when they lost. They needed to stop focusing on finding this creep and figure out how they were going to stay alive and keep him from taking any more of them.

Lucy realized it, and now she was gone. A vivid memory came to his mind of her face in those final hours before her disappearance. Her eyes, devoid of that sparkle they used to light up his world with, darting back and forth wildly. Her lips trembling, curved neither downward to a frown, nor up into a smile. Cringing back into herself as though she could escape the world…

She'd tried to make a run for it. He had no doubt about it now. Natsu protested, saying Lucy would never run. But Natsu always was naïve. Gray chuckled bitterly as he looked at the dragon slayer, knowing it was that same naivety that gave him hope, that made him believe they could still catch this criminal and bring him to justice.

A few still seemed infected with his spirit. Gajeel, Levy, Mirajane, Erza. Of course Erza would be. Like Natsu, she never knew when to give up. She didn't know when it was time to admit defeat. So, like Natsu, she would never change her focus to just surviving this ordeal.

Gajeel was understandable too. His iron brain was too stubborn to know when it was outmatched. And Levy naturally had faith in her boyfriend.

But Gray couldn't understand Mira. The good natured barmaid proved on many occasions that she was more intelligent and pragmatic than that bunch, but she, like them, held on to the hope that the creep would be brought to justice.

Blind fools, all of them.

Gray didn't bother going out with the search teams. They'd all put their heads together and decided to use some kind of amplification magic to increase the dragon slayers' sensitive hearing and smell, but he knew it was useless. The guy they were dealing with obviously knew that they couldn't find him, or he never would have issued this challenge. He wanted them to feel like they had a chance. To pretend that they could outwit him till the very moment that he captured them and tore them apart piece by piece in his lair.

He wasn't at all surprised when Lucy's second eye arrived on a platter, like the first.

 **~~~~~~Lucy~~~~~~**

"Now this is what I love," the sing-song voice echoed in her ears, feeding the madness that was beginning to take her mind. The ache where her left eye used to be was nothing compared to the stabbing pain that was now all that remained of her right eye.

Her voice, already hoarse from 2 hours of non-stop screaming and whimpering, stabbed her vocal cords as it proceeded in raspy, terrified cries. She didn't want to know what came next. She wanted to believe that Natsu was coming to save her. That Fairy Tail was coming to save her, but her mind could only comprehend one thing. Pain. It was her new world, and she wished now for the only way of escape.

Suddenly something pressed against the pit where her left eye used to be. It almost felt like an extremely thick, long finger, poking her in the eye. No, definitely too large to be a finger. The side of it was rubbed alongside her face, and went almost the entire length. She also felt a soft, wrinkled sack against her chin.

Another scream tore the inside of her throat as the realization hit her. The large, hard object that she now knew was a penis began moving along her face, the tip of it ramming into the hole that used to be her left eye. She knew the tears would be cascading in waterfalls if her tear glands hadn't been cut out of her head with the rest of her eyes, but he had denied her even that.

Then, blessedly, the sexual organ was pulled away from her mutilated face. Her relief was short lived, though, as she suddenly felt a pressure against her cavity. Then there was a forceful push, and she felt him break through her barrier in a single thrust. She screamed in pain, her inner walls dry as sandpaper against him, but her unwillingness seemed only to increase his arousal. She felt him begin thrusting, and whimpered and screamed with each movement.

This went on for a few minutes before he pulled out again, and she heard him move to his table. Was it already time for the next piece of her to be cut and sent off? No. It couldn't be. Her sense of time wasn't that far gone yet.

Suddenly her mouth was forced open, and something cold and hard was pushed into the side, keeping her jaw open wide. What was this sick creep up to now? She had only a moment to wonder, as suddenly he thrust himself into her open mouth.

"Can't have you biting now," he said in a sing song as she felt his tip hit the back of her throat. His dick was coated in her blood, and there was nothing she could do to escape the sickening metallic taste. She tried to shut her mouth against him, but her jaw couldn't close against whatever he'd wedged into her teeth. She could close her lips, but she knew that would only make it better for him.

She couldn't even scream as she gagged on his dick, which was hitting the back of her throat hard now with each thrust. Then he stopped, again, and she prepared herself, wondering what was to be next.

The answer came in the form of a sudden pressure against her asshole. Then pain again as he pushed himself quickly all the way in. She screamed again as his dick tore her rectum, as he pumped it in and out she felt nothing but pain. She only wanted it to end. This whole, miserable existence that was called life right now. She just wanted out. If only she could free a hand, she wouldn't even try to get loose now. She wouldn't try to exact revenge. She would find one of his knives and use it to slit her own throat.

After several moments, he pulled back out again, and then to her horror she felt his dick against her face. A moment later he thrust back into her mouth, his dick still coated with her blood, and now with her feces from being inside her ass. She gagged and coughed, trying again to struggle against the chains that bound her.

Then he withdrew again. She wondered why for a moment, but quickly got her answer as a warm, gooey liquid splashed out over her face, some landing in her eye sockets and some in her mouth.

 **~~~~~~Fairy Tail, Some Time Later~~~~~~**

Natsu, Wendy, and Erza came back exhausted from their latest search. Once again they checked everything in Magnolia, leaving no cellar unsearched. No sound uninvestigated. But in the end it was fruitless. They were unable to find Lucy, and now the final hour was drawing near.

They were almost back to the guild when the rain started, cold and wet it cascaded over them, unrelenting in its quest to make their night even more dreary. Natsu sighed, using his fire to evaporate the water as it got near him, and to help keep the others warm. Maybe Mira's team had more luck than they did.

Somehow mustering his optimism, he kicked the doors open in his signature entrance. A quick scan of the room revealed the same atmosphere they were used to coming back to now. Everyone was looking down, away, or in some other way acting as though hope was completely gone. And in a table near the bar sat the guild's resident water mage, and, Natsu quickly realized, the reason for the sudden change in the weather.

The blue haired water mage sat there bawling, her head in her arms which were sprawled out on the table in front of her. Another scan of the room made it easy for Natsu to discern the cause of her distress. The ice stripper, who stayed behind to help protect the guild on their last outing, wasn't among those gathered in the room.

*CLANG* They'd arrived just in time for the delivery of another body part. One of the last they would see of Lucy before the final delivery of her dead body, or some mutated form of it.

As Mira lifted the platter to confirm, they suddenly heard sound from the platter near the finger. A sickening, sing-song voice spoke.

"Hello Fairies. You should all be back from your searching by now. I know it's a long wait before I start on your next guild member, so I sent you this to entertain you. Enjoy!"

As Natsu listened, he heard slow, steady breathing coming from the lacrima that he now saw in the middle of the platter. This was obviously a sound lacrima, but what was the purpose? What did he want them to hear?

Suddenly the breathing paused, and there was a gasp. Then a small, scared voice broke out into the guild.

"Mommy? Daddy? Uncle Natsu?"

Natsu felt his heart sink as his stomach churned within him. That fucking bastard dared send a sound recording?

The voice started again, this time in more of a panic. "Who are you? What are you doing?! Uncle Natsu! Mommy! Daddy!" Sobbing, uncontrollable sobbing. Then a long, heart-wrenching scream.

"TURN IT OFF!" Bisca screamed, and Natsu could see the tears spilling from her face. He could feel stray tears leaking from his own eyes. He felt his fingernails digging into his palms as his fists clenched at his sides. His breath was caught in his throat, and pure red flashed through his mind, obstructing all thoughts or emotions besides pure rage.

"I can't…" Lisanna's small voice cut into his world of anger, anchoring him to the reality that they were still in the guild. "There's no off button!"

The screaming continued, with sobs and pleas for mommy, daddy, or uncle Natsu to save her. Natsu saw Bisca fall to the floor, her body shaking with sobs, while Alzack glared at the lacrima, his eyes and lips set in a hard line. Natsu could tell that the man was using pure rage to hold grief back.

Suddenly there was an explosion, and the screaming and wailing stopped. Everyone looked to see Mirajane in her Halphas form and the area where the lacrima had been totally destroyed.

"I know Fairies don't kill," she said, her voice quiet and menacing as she looked at the empty space where the platter, Lucy's ear, and the lacrima had been a moment ago. "But when we find this guy I'll tear him limb from limb and make sure there's nothing left of him for them to find."

Natsu agreed with her whole heartedly.

 **~~~~~~2 Days, 6 Hours Later~~~~~~**

Natsu and Erza were back again, after another long and fruitless effort to find the killer that was taking the guild one by one. After Gray, Romeo had been taken. Then the latest to go was Lisanna.

Erza frowned, hoping it didn't take them too much longer to find this creep. Whoever he was, he knew how to hide really well. She could recall all too clearly Mira's face when Lisanna was discovered to be missing. Mirajane, one of the last remaining members who would still go out with her and Natsu. Her beautiful hair ragged and wet from the non-stop rain. Her eyes hollow and broken. Her cheeks stained with tears.

Erza shook her head. She didn't want to remember the demon of Fairy Tail that way. But she'd already lost her sister once. To lose her again, and in such a horrible way… Erza couldn't even imagine.

"I couldn't protect any of them…"

Natsu's words cut into her thoughts like a knife, and she looked up at the dragon slayer. "You can't give up hope Natsu! We'll find this guy soon!"

"Yeah, maybe," Natsu said, flashing her a sad mockery of his old toothy grin. "But I won't. I know I'm not smart like everyone else… I'm just gonna' hold you all back. Which is why…" He smiled softly at her. "The only thing I can do is buy you more time."

"Natsu, what are you?—"

Before she could finish her question, the dragon slayer lit his hands and feet on fire. "HEY YOU SON OF A BITCH!" He yelled. "I HOPE YOU'RE FUCKING WATCHING, CAUSE I'M ABOUT TO GET AWAY FROM YOU! I'M BREAKING YOUR RULES AND LEAVING THIS FUCKING LOUSY TOWN BEHIND!"

With those words he started running full sprint toward the train station, as Erza felt her heart almost stop within her. "Natsu you idiot!" She yelled, moving to run after him. But she was too late. He was suddenly enveloped in a shroud of darkness, and when it receded, the pink-haired dragon slayer was gone.

Erza fell to the streets of Magnolia tears filling her eyes. She couldn't believe he was gone! And she didn't even have time to tell him about her developing feelings. Her heart left with him, leaving a gaping hole where he should be. And all she could do was cry. Cry and wish that somehow, someway, she could save him.

 _It's not over yet…_ That voice – that infuriating, endearing, optimistic voice whispered in the back of her mind, as though the dragon slayer was still right there with her. Right. It wasn't over yet. She still had 18 hours before the fiend started work on Natsu, and she would figure out exactly how to catch him in that time.

Getting up, she went quickly to find the guild's resident bookworm. Between the two of them they could figure something out.

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So there's chapter 3. Drop a review plz


	4. Chapter 4

**Fairy Tail and all the characters belong to Mashima. Not to me.

Alright everyone, here's the last chapter of 24 hours. I kind of want to write a sequel, but whether or not I do depends on the amount of interest shown.

I just wanted to note that Lucy's torture was not worse than any of the others. There seems to be a perception among many that I chose to show that particular scene because I hate Lucy, which isn't the case. I actually don't hate Lucy, though I do hate shipping her with Natsu. The torture scene was supposed to provide a glimpse of how the villain (if there's a sequel more will be explained about him as well) treated his victims in general, not imply that Lucy somehow had it worse than anyone else.

So anyway, here's the final chapter of this story. As I said, may or may not be a sequel. Thanks for all the reviews, likes, and favorites.**

* * *

"Well," Levy said, her voice sounding draggy and a little on the low side. "I've got a plan, but I don't think you'll like it…"

"I'm willing to try anything you can come up with," Erza said, her eyes shadowed by her bangs. "That person's got Natsu!"

Levy nodded, her lids moving slowly down before jerking upward again. "Well, you remember the communications lacrimas master has in his office? The sound-only ones?"

Erza's eyes lit up. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that? I'll take one of them and get him to capture me next, and then get him to tell us where to look for him!"

"You catch on fast," Levy said, still sounding tired. "But we probably won't be in time to save Natsu."

Erza paused, her mood instantly dropping again. By the time the man captured his next victim, he was already hours into his routine. There was no way to get there before he started on Natsu.

Or was there? Suddenly the fire came back to her eyes. The killer set some rules. Rules that he couldn't allow anyone to break, and they still had a good six hours before he started work on Natsu. "Oh, we'll be in time." She said. "Get the lacrimas out, now!"

Levy nodded and scurried away to the master's office. Soon she returned, holding two small, round lacrimas about the size of a golf ball. She quickly activated both, and then looked at Erza.

"Well, we have it," she said. "The problem is, where do we put it?"

Erza blinked. She hadn't considered it, but they didn't know what condition the freak who was doing this had people in once he captured them. It was possible that she wouldn't have any clothing available to hide the device in once she was down there. And that only left…

Her face turned a bright scarlet as she mumbled, "I'll take care of it…" Then she headed quickly for the privacy of the girls' bathroom.

Once there she took a deep breath, knowing what she had to do. Sliding her panties down a little way, she braced herself before shoving the lacrima firmly into the one place she was fairly certain he wouldn't check. She winced slightly as it went in, feeling her cheeks tighten against the intrusion, but she forced it past, knowing it had to go deep enough to be invisible should this creep turn out to be that kind of pervert.

Once she was satisfied with the result, she pulled her underwear back up and washed her hands. Then, she left the guild, heading for the train station. If there was one thing they learned through this whole ordeal, it was that their antagonist wouldn't stand for anyone breaking his "rules."

She made it to the train station unscathed. Then, when she bought her ticket and there was still no response, she began to worry. What if she was wrong about her estimation? What if this guy was ready to let one of them escape if it meant not letting his timeline be interfered with? Her confidence began to dwindle as she approached the train, ready to board.

But then the world in front of her became black. She had only a moment's vision of him, or rather, a shadow of him. For there was not enough light to see features. Only a silhouette of a tall, lean man. But the putrid, rotten odor that assaulted her nose as he approached was all too real. Then her senses faded, and darkness claimed her.

When she awoke, the first thing she noticed was the strength of the smell. It was similar to the one that accompanied the man when he assaulted her, only here it was much stronger. The room she found herself in was lit by low, green light, which made it fairly easy for her eyes to adjust. She was shackled to a wall across from two stone slabs. The slabs were slightly angled, and facing each other. On the one to her right she saw Natsu, the anger in his eyes visible even in the low lighting. On the other slab was what she could only assume was Lisanna. The deep pits where her eyes used to be, the absence of ears, and her cheeks hanging open where he'd cut from the corner of her lips almost to the edge of the ear, made it difficult to tell, especially with the blood matting her hair. But Lisanna was the last one to be taken before Natsu, so she could only assume this was her. Low, hoarse whimpers escaped the girl's throat, barely audible even in the deadly quiet, well contained room they now occupied.

The next thing that attracted her attention was him. The man who had taken her captive, standing across from her and beyond the slabs near a table. On the table lay an assortment of weapons. Hooks, knives, saws, needles, spikes, a hammer, and many other various sharp objects. She knew they didn't have much time left before he finished with Lisanna, from the looks of her, so she had to get the information she needed, and fast. The uncomfortable tightness in her ass told her that the lacrima was still wedged in where she put it.

"So this is where you're hiding," she said aloud, looking around. "Some master of hiding you are. I bet you this isn't even in Magnolia."

The man turned to her, giving her a full view of the face. The thin, sunken cheeks. The greedy, predatory eyes. The sharp jaw, and the slightly hooked nose. Then he spoke, his voice echoing through the room in a sing-song that made her want to take the nearest blunt instrument and insert it into his throat.

"Of course we're in Magnolia. I wouldn't break the rules of my game."

"Oh yeah?" Erza scoffed, looking up to meet his eyes. "Prove it. Where in Magnolia are we? Because I don't believe you."

The man looked at her for several long minutes before turning back to the table. "We're in a special subsystem of old dungeon cells on the outskirts," he said in his grating sing-song. "The only known entrance is in the forest, in the side of the cliff facing the lake. And of course it's obscured by the undergrowth, so there's no chance anyone will find it."

Erza fought hard to keep the victorious smirk from her lips, knowing she couldn't give anything away. There could still be time for him to move them if he suspected. "I never knew such a place existed in Magnolia."

"Most people don't, which is why I chose it." The man replied, picking up a knife from the table. "While you were looking all over town, the entrance was just a short distance away into the forest."

He then turned back to her, stroking the knife, which was coated with blood already, with one hand, and she could see his eyes grow darker as he looked at her. "But you and this pink-haired brat… You have managed to make me angry," his sing-song lilt remained, threatening to driver her mind to insanity. "The Titania and the Salamander. Protectors of Fairy Tail. You were supposed to watch as all your guild mates died, one at a time. To realize that you were helpless to protect them despite your self-appointed roles. By the time I finally took you, last of all your guild mates, you were supposed to be miserable, broken shells of the great protectors of Fairy Tail."

Then for the first time his lips broke their absolute straight line as his eyes focused on her, turning down into a scowl. "But no. First the salamander dares to defy my plan by threatening to run. Then you take his idea and attempt to flee as well, forcing me not only to capture both of you much earlier than I planned but also to bring a third victim here before I was ready for one. Yes, I am extremely displeased, Titania."

He paused for several long moments. His breathing was heavier, his voice losing its sing-song ever so slightly. Slowly he brought the knife to his mouth, slipping his tongue out and running it slowly along the bloodied blade. His breathing calmed again as his eyes closed, an expression of satisfaction on his face. When he finally spoke again, the sing-song returned, grating at her nerves as it had before. "And that's why I have something very special in mind or you, Titania." He started moving, walking slowly over to Lisanna's slab. Erza watched, helpless, as he plunged the knife down. The poor girl had no voice left to scream, so the hoarse cry that escaped her lips was raspy and barely audible above a whisper. After a few moments, he stuck her hand into her chest. When he pulled it back, he held her heart, still beating slowly, not knowing yet that the girl was dead.

"So," he said as he summoned the platter. "Has the search party left yet, to find the hidden entrance?"

Erza felt her breath catch in her throat. "What do you mean?" She asked, not liking the way her voice broke for an instant.

"The group from Fairy Tail that your guild would've sent out. I'm sure they're close to the forest by now…" He picked up the platter and disappeared for a moment.

She felt the cold lump of fear growing in her stomach. He knew. How could he know? It wasn't possible! She'd been so careful!

"Oh come now Titania," the words were a little less sing-songy again as he reappeared. "Did you really think that I hadn't thought of this? Did you think I wouldn't know what you were up to when you started questioning me about my location?" He leaned down, running his tongue slowly along the dead girl's eye sockets. Erza felt the bile rising to the back of her throat as she watched. "I don't know where your lacrima's hidden, but I do know that I'm gonna' enjoy finding out," his sing-song began to return as he pulled back, unsnapping Lisanna's body from the table. As soon as the body was completely freed from the restraints, he took a large cleaver from the table and severed her arms with two quick strokes. He then cut her once more, right below her large, round breasts that were slick with blood. Then he placed what remained on a platter, larger than the other ones to fit the gory contents. "This will be a nice surprise for that Mirajane, don't you think?" He said before disappearing for a few brief seconds.

"Now it's time to start on the Salamander," the man said in his sing-song. Humming softly to himself, he picked up a serrated blade that looked as though it had been used before. Then, to Erza's surprise, he walked over to her. He undid the chains that bound her to the wall and placed the knife in her hand.

Unsure why he would make such a foolish move, Erza quickly brought the knife up to stab him. Or at least, that's what she wanted to do. But her arm remained firmly planted at her side. She frowned, trying to pull her arm up again, but it was futile. Her body wouldn't listen to her.

"I told you I had something special in mind for you, Titania," the sing-song voice threatened to destroy her sanity. "My magic isn't limited to putting my subjects to sleep. I can also use my mind to take control of your body, so that your own body obeys me instead of you. But of course, your mind remains intact, so you'll see, hear, and feel everything as though you yourself were doing it…"

A glint came to his eyes as he leaned forward. "Now, cut the Salamander's eye out."

"No!" Even as she cried out the denial, her body began to move, slowly, jerkily, toward the slab where Natsu was bound, helpless. She tried desperately to stop, but her body wouldn't listen. Wouldn't even slow. Soon Natsu came into full view, his onyx orbs looking almost alien in the eerie green light. "NO!" Erza screamed out, tears coming to her eyes as her arm raised the blade for the strike.

"It's ok Erza…." Natsu said quietly. "I know this isn't you."

Tears streamed down her face as she watched her arm plunge downward, stabbing the semi-sharp blade just to the side of his eye. She saw his teeth clench, his face screwing up in agony, but no sound escaped. And she knew it wouldn't. He was too stubborn to give their antagonist the satisfaction of a scream.

But she couldn't help it. Another scream of denial escaped her throat as she watched the arm that looked just like hers saw the blade slowly around his eye. Watched his face as he braced himself against the excruciating pain she knew he must be in right now. Her hand kept working, disobeying her will as she tried again to stop it. To return the muscles of that arm to her command.

And then she was finished. "Take it out and put it on that platter," the man commanded her. She tried to resist, but her body continued to move as though it no longer belonged to her. With her left hand, the hand not holding the knife, she reached down, cringing as she felt the bloody flesh surrounding the eye in her grasp. Then she watched her body pull the severed eye out of the socket, placing it on the platter as he'd indicated.

"How does it feel Titania?" The sing-song voice mocked her, but she could do nothing. She could feel his will binding hers like iron, as unbreakable as the anti-magic wristbands that remained on her wrists. A few times she thought she could overpower him, but her body only resisted for a few extra milliseconds.

Hot tears spilled down her cheek as she looked at Natsu, laying on the table, his breath coming in quick gasps. His one remaining eye found her, and a sad smile came to his face.

"I told you I don't want to see you cry anymore…" He said, his voice calm and gentle, though she could hear the harsh undertones that belied the tough exterior.

"Don't worry," the sing-song returned. "In less than an hour, you'll never have to worry about seeing her cry again."

Erza gritted her teeth, glaring at the man, but he seemed unperturbed. He was back at his table, surveying the contents with a contemplative look. She tried again to move her hands, straining against the iron will that locked her out of her own body. But she was unable to break it. She could feel that this wasn't his first time doing this. His magic felt vile, even moreso than any opponent she fought before. Even more than the demon Kyouka.

"Ah, here we go," He picked up a large nail, at least a foot and a half in length and as large around as her pinky, and handed it to her with a hammer. "Here's a real test for you," the sing song voice called out to her. "You are going to put this through his chest. I know exactly where to strike to keep it from killing him, but you must not resist me. Even the slightest mistake could result in death, and I know you still hope to get him out of here alive…"

Erza struggled with all her might to keep her hands from accepting the 'gifts' she was being offered, but she was unable to regain control of her body. She watched, helpless, as her hands received the nail and the hammer. Then she slowly gave way, allowing him the control. She knew that in these next few minutes Natsu could die, and that was something she couldn't risk.

Tears started flowing again as the hand that held the hammer hit the nail, driving it into his chest. His body tensed, his fingers gripped into tight fists, but still he didn't cry out. Erza felt a sob escape as her arm swung again, driving the nail deeper. Then another swing, and another. At the last, she felt hard, solid resistance. The nail hit the cold stone underneath and drove in a little way.

"Good girl. Now give me back the hammer," the man said, his sing-song voice infuriating her. She wanted nothing more than to take the hammer and shove it down his throat, but her body wouldn't let her. She watched her hand move slowly, placing the hammer gently back in his hand that waited to receive it.

"You know, I think your friend could use some cheering up," the man said. "Go grind against his dick."

Erza's eyes widened in horror as her body moved to comply. No, this couldn't be happening! Not this way! She cried out again in denial, trying to force her limbs back into obedience, but they refused to listen. One painful step at a time she approached the stone that the dragon slayer was bound to. Slowly her legs moved up, kneeling over his flaccid penis till she was fully straddling him. Tears streamed down her face, beyond her control once again as her hips began moving, her naked pelvis gyrating against him. Under other circumstances their positions would've been incredibly arousing, but right now it was nothing but disgusting.

Her hips moved of their own accord for several minutes, and as she expected nothing happened, with either of them. But before she could become to exultant, she felt his flaccid member twitch, then start to become harder.

"Funny thing about the body," the sing-song voice made her want to shove something down his throat so she didn't have to hear it anymore. "Biologically, it's made to react. So, regardless of circumstances, if you just stimulate the right areas long enough, you'll get a reaction. You don't even have to have physical attraction really. Just the right stimulation in the right spots…"

Erza scowled as she felt the erection slowly growing under her, knowing that what he said was true. She also knew that she wasn't looking forward to what she knew would happen once the erection reached its full height.

Even though she knew it was still a couple more minutes before it got there, it seemed to happen all too quickly. And, as she feared, his next command came.

"Now get on his dick."

Tears still streaming down her face, she watched her body comply. She didn't cry out at the pain as she felt him break through her barrier roughly.

Tears streamed down her face as her body bounced on him. How dare this stranger take her first time from her? She would've loved her first time to be with Natsu, but not like this! They weren't making love. This couldn't even be called sex. She derived no pleasure from the act. Even if she wanted to she couldn't. Not looking down at the man she had fallen for, seeing the hollow, bloody pit that used to be his eye and knowing her own hands had removed it. Or knowing that her own arm had hammered the nail that stuck out of his chest.

Several minutes later she felt her body stop bouncing and slowly get off the still erect dick. "The Salamander hasn't released yet," the sing-song voice said. "I think he needs more stimulation. Maybe he likes things… a little rough."

What was he talking about? Her body turned toward her tormentor, and her hand reached out again, against her will, taking a sickle from the man's hand. She watched as her hand inverted it, then screamed again, the tears beginning afresh, as her body thrust the handle into Natsu's ass.

As her arm pumped the wooden handle in and out she looked at his face. His good eye was tightly shut, his teeth gritted, and she also saw his hands clenched into tight fists. She could see a small, unwanted tear leaking from his good eye, and that only tore her heart more. She wanted to stop her body, but she couldn't! Nothing she did worked to break her tormentor's hold.

Then her arm stopped again, retrieving the bloodied sickle handle and returning it to the monster near the table. Her hand then opened, again of its own will, and received the knife that was given it.

"It's time for another delivery," the sing-song voice felt like a hammer in the back of her mind. Her rage grew with every minute, but it was choked by the guilt and pain. Again she was forced to watch as her own hand plunged the knife into the skin surrounding Natsu's good eye. Then continued, in a sawing motion, till the eye was completely removed.

After the eye had been delivered, the monster actually laughed at her. The first time she heard anything other than his sing-song. "How do you feel now, oh great Titania? Are you proud of yourself for forcing my hand? Do you feel good about what you've accomplished?"

Then his voice returned to his hated lilt. "But look at you, having your first time and you haven't even kissed him yet. Go ahead, kiss him."

As her body moved in, her face pressing itself closer to his, she heard him whisper between ragged breaths. "It's ok Erza… I love you…"

Tears flooded her eyes as her lips met his in a passionless kiss. This monster was taking everything from them. Behind them she heard his laugh again. "Aaww, he loves you. That's so sweet…" Her eyes widened in surprise. How had he heard that? Natsu's whispers had been barely audible to her… But she didn't have time to ponder further as the next command came. "Now bite a nice big chunk out of his bottom lip."

To her horror her mouth obeyed, the teeth clamping down hard on the designated lip. She tasted blood on her tongue as her head moved back and forth, working to remove the chunk of flesh. Soon she felt it come loose in her mouth, and as soon as she was able she spat it onto the floor.

"Brace yourself…" A faint whisper from Natsu, and she barely had time to comprehend the meaning. But she did. He was still thinking of the man's hearing of his whisper. The body take over magic he was using required immense concentration, so if Natsu could break it…

The dragon slayer quickly employed his one weapon that didn't require any magic power. In a moment that outstripped even his battle against Cobra, he let out the loudest roar she ever heard. It felt like her eardrums were about to shatter, but in that moment she saw her tormentor's face scrunch up in pain and felt his hold release on her body. She couldn't use her requip magic, but she still held the knife that cut Natsu's eye out.

With a scream of rage she launched herself at him, burying the knife in the monster's chest before he had a chance to exert control over her body again. She felt her fury taking over her as her arm raised again, descending into the bleeding chest. Then again, and again. The knife tearing up his chest with each stroke. She plunged it into his throat. Into his face. Losing count of the number of times she slashed, stabbed, and cut his body. Even when the last, ragged breaths stopped, she continued her merciless assault on the animal below her. She wished she could bring him back just to kill him again. And again.

When she finally stepped back, the mutilated meat lying on the floor barely resembled a human being. She winced on reflex as she did a quick search of the remains, but eventually she was able to find what she was looking for. She unlocked the bands that bound her hands and feet, and felt her magic flowing back through her. She then moved back to the table, grabbing the nail and pulling it quickly out of the dragon slayer's chest, being careful to pull it straight out without wavering to the right or left. She then unlocked him, and to her chagrin he tried to stand.

"Don't stand up," she ordered. "You're far too injured for that." She pulled him onto her back, piggy-back style, and went to find the way out.

 **~~~~~~Fairy Tail~~~~~~**

The atmosphere in the guild was the gloomiest Wendy ever saw it. Not that she could blame anyone. She herself was feeling hopeless after seeing the second eye that her nose identified as Natsu's. The guild protectors – the ones who always rescued them no matter what, were gone now. What hope remained for the rest of them?

Then the door creaked, and everyone jumped, alert and fearful, facing the guild doors. Even Wendy felt her hear pumping faster as she faced them, even though she knew the fear was ridiculous. This monster didn't come through the front door. He appeared from the shadows, anywhere he pleased. Then the doors creaked again, then opened. A naked girl with long, scarlet hair stumbled through the door, carrying a pink-haired boy on her back. The girl, who Wendy's nose quickly confirmed was Erza, had blood spattered all over her chest and arms, and the boy on her back, who she could tell was Natsu, had blood leaking from empty sockets where his eyes used to be. Then, as Erza stumbled forward and laid Natsu on one of the tables, Wendy saw there was more damage. There was a large hole in his chest and it looked like a piece of his bottom lip had been torn off – by teeth, no less.

"Heal him," she grated out. And Wendy quickly began doing just that.

"Bring me some iodine and water, and two clean cloths," she commanded. Those were definitely teeth marks on the lip, and Wendy knew that a person who was bitten by a human could die from infection if the bite wasn't sterilized. Kinana came back with the requested materials, and she quickly used one cloth to clean the wound with iodine. Once that was finished, she used the other cloth to wash the wound with water, rinsing as much of the residual iodine away as she could.

After that she was able to close the chest wound, which she quickly discovered went all the way through to the back. She stopped the bleeding in the eye sockets, and also the lip. Then she sighed softly, dropping wearily to the bench. Her magic power was growing, but the number and severity of the wounds took a lot out of her.

"There's still one more spot," the still naked Erza said.

"Where?" Wendy looked over Natsu's naked form, wondering what she could've missed.

Erza wordlessly turned Natsu over, and Wendy saw blood coming from his asshole. Her cheeks turned a bright red as she asked for the instruments she would require to see the extent of the damage.

"Umm, Erza…" she said as she began the work. "You know you're still naked, right?"

"Huh? Oh.." The red-head exquipped her basic armor quickly, though she didn't even blush at having been exposed to the guild this whole time.

"Erza-san, where was he hiding?" Wendy heard Levy's voice from behind her, but didn't turn from her work. She was, to her surprise, finding slivers of wood lodged inside the pink-haired dragon slayer, and pulling them out with tweezers.

"There's an old tunnel system under Magnolia," Erza replied. "I don't know exactly how deep, but I traveled up a long way. It came out under the cathedral. After I came out, it looked like just a wall."

"Oh…" Then Wendy heard the question that was foremost on her mind. "So, what about the man who's doing this?"

"He's dead," Erza replied, a hard tone in her voice. "I killed him."

There were multiple relieved sighs and a few choked sobs throughout the guild. Wendy finally finished removing the last of the wood splinters from Natsu's ass and healed him fully before turning again to the redhead. "His physical wounds are healed," she said quietly. "There was no sign of internal bleeding, which is good. But he could be out for a couple days."

Erza just nodded. "I'll take him home," she said. She then picked up the dragon slayer and headed out as everyone watched.

Wendy looked around the guild after she departed. All were relieved by the criminal's apprehension, but not all had made it out unscathed. Alzack and Bisca might never recover from losing their young daughter. Macao had tears in his eyes as he mourned the loss of Romeo. As Juvia awoke from her slumber the rain outside started up again. And, though Mira wore an impassive expression behind the bar, she hadn't said a word to anyone since Lisanna disappeared.

Fairy Tail made it through the darkest hour, but the night was far from over.

* * *

So there it is! Don't forget to review, and let me know however you feel like it if you want to see the sequel. Sequel wouldn't be horror, but would still contain dark themes as people deal with what happened in this fic.


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